Willis baldwin



N I W D L A B W m d 0 M o m FOLDING SETTEB.

Patented Aug. 3, 1886.

UNITED STATES ATENT @rrrca.

\VILLIS BALDXVIN, OF HUNTER, NE\V YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LOOKXVOOD, BALDVIN & (10., OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING SETTEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part or Letters Patent 31034645 dated August 3, 1886.

Application filed February 2, 1886 Serial X0. 190,615. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILL-Is BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hunter, in the county of Greene and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Folding Settees, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to settees, and particularly to such as are adapted to be folded for purposes of stowage or transportation.

The object of my invention is to produce a settee of the character in question which,when in an open condition, will not be liable to collapse, and which may be readily folded into acondition compact and free from projections, such as would be liable to interfere with the advantageous stacking of the settees. A further objectis to improve the hinge-connection between the back and seat of the settee, so that the hinges will be relieved of all strain.

My invention accordingly consists in hinging the legs of the settee to the frame in such a manner as to permit of their being folded within the space provided between the front and rear bars of the frame, and in hinging to the cross-braces of the legs notched bars, which are adapted to automatically catch into an opening in a central brace beneath the seat of the settee when the legs are drawn out for use. 4

It further consists in extending the braces which support the slats of the back of the settee beyond the lowest slat, so that such extended ends may bear firmly against the rear bar of the frame, and thus relieve the hinges of all strain when the settee is in use.

It also consists in certain details of construction, as specified hereinafter.

My purpose is to make the settee of some light substantial wood, although it may be made of metal, if found desirable to so do.

The features of novely for which I desire protection are pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which like features are indicated by like letters, Figure 1 indicates a front elevation of a settee, partly in section, embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, also partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View.

showing the legs and back folded in position.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indicates the back of the settee, which consists of a number of horizontal slats, a, which are secured by screws or otherwise to two upright braces, I).

B indicates the seat of the settee, which is likewise composed ofa number of horizontally arranged slats, I). The cont'ornmtion of seat B may be fiat; butit is preferably made of the shape shown in Fig. 2, whereby it is rendered more comfortable to sit upon.

0 0 indicate, respectively, front and rear bars, which give finish to the structure, and serve to support the horizontal slats b at the front and rear, as shown.

D D indicate end braces, which are secured in the position shown to the front and rear bars, 0 C, by rabbeting or otherwise, and D indicates a similar brace arranged midway between the braces l) D, and serving alike function. These braces D D D are straight on their under surfaces, but curved on their upper surfaces, to givethe desired conformation to the slatted seat of the settee.

The legs of the settee are indicated by E. Each leg comprises two standards, 0 c, and a rung, (Z. The standards 0 c are preferably made of the shape shown in Fig. 1. Thelegs E are secured in a hinged condition to the structure by the metallic rods 6 e, which pass crosswise of the frame through the front and rear bars,O O,iu close proximity to the braces D D, the ends of said rods being supplied with metallic washers,against which said ends are riveted, as shown. The tops of the legs E are notched or cut away, as shown atf, so

that when the legs are spread out to support the settee the notches pass under and bear firmly upon the cross-braces D D, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby receiving the strain upon the legs.

F F indicate braces which connect the standards c 0 together near their upper ends, their top edges being on a line with the notchcsf in the standards,so that when the legs are drawn out to support the settee the braces F F are brought directly under the cross-braces D D of the frame.

G G indicate lateral bars, which at one end are hinged at g g nearly midway of the braces F F, and in such relation to each other that their ends may pass by each other without coming in contact. The hinges are so applied that when the bars are drawn out with the legs E the ends otsaid barsabut firmly against the braces F F,as shown in Fig. 1. Theinner ends of the bars GG are notched, as shown at hh, and said ends pass through an opening midway ofthe central brace, D. In the move ments necessary to fold and unfold the legs the bars G G play through the opening in D. When the legs are drawn out to support the settee, the bars G G, being hinged to the legs, are simultaneously drawn out, and when the legs are fully extended, and just before the braces F F are firmly seated against braces D D of the frame, the hinged ends of bars G G come to rest against the braces F F, and a slight further spreading of the legs causes the notched inner ends of the bars G G to interlock with the edges of the opening in the central brace, D, as will be plain from an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings. By this arrangement the legs of the settee are very firmly and securely held in an extended position, and pressure on the seat of the structure will have no tendency to disconnect the bars G G from their locked condition, but, on the contrary, tends to increase the strength of the connection.

The back of the settee is seen red to the seat by the hinges t t, one portion of the hinge being screwed to the rear slat of the seat and the other portion to the lower slat of the back, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To relieve the hinges of strain when pressure is exerted on the back of the settee, I extend the lower ends, 6 b, of the upright braces b b some d'stance below the slat of the back, to which the hinges are secured, so that when the back is in an upright or raised position the extended ends I) b of said braces abut firmly against the rear bar, 0, and thus relieve the hinges of strain. To give the back A the proper incli nation when in an elevated position, the inner surfaces, Z). I), of the extended ends of the braces b b are slightly beveled, as shown in Fig. 2.

The manner in which the settee is folded and its legs extended and braced is sufficient- 1y clear from the foregoing description.

The settees, when folded, are capable of being stacked very compactly, and where necessity makes it desirable a stack of the settees may be built up of sufficient height for sitting upon, and the uppermost one of the stack, by elevating its back, utilized for-seating purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A settee provided with front and rear bars, as O G, notched central brace, as D. and transverse rods, as e 6, combined with legs hinged upon said transverse rods between the front and rear bars, 0 O, and lateral bars hinged at their outer ends to said legs, and having their inner ends notched, so as to cooperate with the notched central brace, D, substantially as set forth.

2. A settee provided with front and rear bars, as O O, and end braces, D D, combined with legs E E, notched at their upper ends and hinged between the bars 0 O, substantially as set forth.

3. A settee provided with a rear rail, as 0, combined with a hinged back provided with upright braces b b, whose lower ends project beyond the lower edge of the back, and bear upon said rail 0 when the back is in an open position, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Hunter, in thecounty of Greene and State of New York, this 31st day of De cember, A. D. 1885.

' \VILLTS BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

H. S. LooKwooD, F. L. FROMER. 

